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Team Canada wins Four Nations Cup in shootout vs. U.S.

Canada's Brianne Jenner beats United States goaltender Molly Schaus in Saturday night's shootout win at the Four Nations Cup in Kamloops, B.C. (JONATHAN HAYWARD / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

By Joshua ClippertonThe Canadian Press

Sun., Nov. 9, 2014

KAMLOOPS, B.C.—Canada’s Brianne Jenner is making a habit of scoring big goals against the United States.

Nine months after kick-starting her country’s memorable comeback victory in the gold-medal game at the Sochi Olympics, Jenner had the only goal of the shootout Saturday night as Canada defeated the U.S. 3-2 in the final of the Four Nations Cup women’s hockey tournament.

After an exciting 4-on-4 overtime that included power plays and plenty of chances for both teams, Jenner roofed a backhand in the second round of the shootout before Genevieve Lacasse sealed it with saves on Brianna Decker and Hilary Knight.

“It’s always extremely intense,” said Jenner. “We take every game against them really seriously. They’re our rivals and we don’t want to drop a game to them. To see it go to shootout doesn’t surprise me.”

The game marked the first final between the squads since Canada’s dramatic 3-2 come-from-behind overtime victory at the Games in February, and came on the heels of another 3-2 win in round-robin play on Wednesday.

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“I guess it’s becoming a typical Canada-U.S. game in women’s hockey — just a real exciting game,” said Canadian head coach Doug Derraugh. “A real tough, hard-fought game. Back and forth, both teams had great chances. What more can you ask for?

“The players were phenomenal. It was a real energetic, passionate group.”

Jennifer Wakefield scored twice in regulation for Canada, while Lacasse stopped 33 shots through 80 minutes of action. Knight and Decker replied for the U.S., which got 26 saves from Molly Schaus.

“What a hell of a game. What an awesome thing for women’s hockey,” said U.S. head coach Ken Klee. “It was a fantastic hockey game. Both teams played well, both teams had chances, both teams moved. It was just an awesome hockey game.

“There’s some disappointment. Losing’s no fun and we’re not satisfied with it, but we played our hearts out. At the end if you play your hearts out, you have nothing to hang your head about.”

Canada has now won the Four Nations Cup 14 times — including last year in Lake Placid, N.Y. — while the U.S. owns the other five titles.

“I’m really proud of the group and what we accomplished here. This was our goal,” said Canadian captain Haley Irwin. “We got better each game and I think there’s a lot we can take from this.

“It’s a bounce here, a bounce there and you just have to make sure you’re leaving everything out there.”

The giants of the women’s game brought vastly different rosters to Kamloops than the ones that took to the ice in Russia for the Olympics as both programs look to develop younger players with an eye toward the 2015 women’s world championship and beyond. Hayley Wickenheiser, Jayna Hefford, Caroline Ouellette and Gillian Apps were among the veterans who didn’t take part for the Canadians, while 11 Olympians stayed home for the American team.

But the new faces didn’t lessen the importance or intensity of the final at the sold-out Interior Savings Centre with an announced crowd of 5,816.

“Every time we play the Canadians it’s going to be a one-goal differential,” said Decker. “It didn’t go in our favour tonight (but) we’re learning from it.

“Coach just said there’s no such thing as moral victories, but it’s a learning experience.”

Canada opened the scoring at 15:46 of a physical and fast-paced first period on the power play when Tara Watchorn blasted a high one-timer from the point that Wakefield tipped past Schaus.

The U.S. players and Klee protested that the goal should have been disallowed because Wakefield’s stick was above the crossbar — even pointing at the big screen above the ice surface — but the call on the ice stood. There is no video review at the tournament.

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